We had a federal election on Monday, and many people, myself included, voted for a change. I watched the Facebook and Twitter posts of friends and pundits celebrating the end of Mr. Harper. I agree, he had to go, but as I thought about it, I thought about what it means to be a leader. What is it that I want from the next person to lead the country?For me, a good leader, in any form, has a vision for something better and pulls all of her people into that vision until everyone believes in that vision too, because they can see it working effectively. Whether in politics, business, or at home, when I think about the effective leaders in my life, they have always been the ones who changed my mindset and pushed my ideals in a new direction, taking me forward.I think that the main reason that Mr. Harper failed, was because he was trying to take Canada back to a vision from the past. While that past may feel safe in the memory of many people, in truth it never was and cannot be realistically achieved in our current world.We cannot exclude the people or ideas that are a part of us. I believe that Mr. Harper honestly wanted what he thought was best for Canada, and that his job was to protect his people, but an effective leader creates individuals who can protect themselves and make their own decisions.So, will the new leader have a vision for the future that includes all Canadians? Will he help to bring us forward in our thinking about ourselves and our country? We are all hopeful and relieved and giddy, but time will tell if Mr. Trudeau can do his part to create a Canada that makes us proud to be Canadian again.